Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02655638 2012-04-10
HANDHELD ELECTRONIC DEVICE HAVING MULTIPLE-AXIS INPUT DEVICE
AND SELECTABLE LANGUAGE INDICATOR FOR LANGUAGE SELECTION,
AND ASSOCIATED METHOD
BACKGROUND
Field
The disclosed concept relates generally to electronic devices and, more
particularly,
to a method for indicating and selecting a language on a handheld electronic
device.
Description of the Related Art
Numerous types of handheld electronic devices are known. Examples of such
handheld devices include, for instance, personal data assistants (PDAs),
handheld
computers, two-way pagers, cellular telephones, and the like. Many handheld
electronic
devices also feature wireless communication capability, although many such
handheld
devices are stand-alone devices that are functional without communication with
other
devices.
Handheld electronic devices are used in a variety of language settings and
users can
often find themselves writing text in multiple languages. For example, a user
might reply to
one e-mail message in French and another in English. However, in order to
utilize a
handheld electronic device's advance features, such as disambiguation, the
user might have
to select the language that, for example, corresponds to the language of the
original message
to which he/she is replying. Switching among multiple languages can often
confuse the user
since the user might believe that the currently selected language on the
handheld electronic
device is one language, but in reality the operative language is another
language. Therefore,
incorrectly believing that the currently selected language is the desired
language, the user
might unwittingly begin to enter input which corresponds to the desired
language, fully
expecting the disambiguation function of the handheld electronic device to
correctly
disambiguate any ambiguous inputs that the user enters. However, since the
currently
selected language is the incorrect language, the handheld electronic device
will
disambiguate the ambiguous inputs based on the other language. Assuming that
the user
realizes that the currently selected language on the handheld electronic
device is not the
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CA 02655638 2012-04-10
. .
desired language prior to completing the data entry, the steps required to
rectify the situation
(e.g. select the correct language and correct any incorrect data) will consume
time. It would
be desirable to overcome this shortcoming in an efficient fashion that makes
the device
easier to use.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A full understanding of the disclosed concept can be gained from the following
Description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an improved handheld electronic device in
accordance
with the disclosed concept;
FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction of the improved handheld electronic device of
FIG.
1;
FIG. 3 is a depiction of an output that can be displayed on an output
apparatus of the
improved handheld electronic device;
FIG. 4 is a depiction of another output that can be displayed on an output
apparatus
of the improved handheld electronic device;
FIG. 5 is a depiction of another output that can be displayed on an output
apparatus
of the improved handheld electronic device;
FIG. 6 depicts an input mode indicator on the display;
FIG. 7 is a top plan view of an improved handheld electronic device in
accordance
with another embodiment of the disclosed concept;
FIG. 8 depicts an exemplary menu that can be output on the handheld electronic
device of FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 depicts another exemplary menu;
FIG. 10 depicts an exemplary reduced menu;
FIG. 11 is an exemplary output such as could occur during a text entry or text
editing
operation;
FIG. 12 is an exemplary output during a text entry operation;
FIG. 13 is an alternative exemplary output during a text entry operation;
FIG. 14 is another exemplary output during a part of text entry operation;
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FIG. 15 is an exemplary output during a data entry operation;
FIG. 16 is a top plan view of an improved handheld electronic device in
accordance
with still another embodiment of the disclosed concept; and
FIG. 17 is a schematic depiction of the improved handheld electronic device of
FIG.
16.
Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the specification.
DESCRIPTION
When referring to the term "language object" and variations thereof, such
designations shall refer broadly to any type of object that may be
constructed, identified, or
otherwise obtained from one or more linguistic elements, that can be used
alone or in
combination to generate text, and that would include, for example and without
limitation,
words, shortcuts, symbols, ideograms, and the like.
When referring to the term "linguistic element" and variations thereof, such
designations shall refer broadly to any element that itself can be a language
object or from
which a language object can be constructed, identified, or otherwise obtained,
and thus
would include, but not be limited to, characters, letters, strokes, symbols,
ideograms,
phonemes, morphemes, digits (numbers), and the like.
When referring to the term "letter" and variations thereof, such designations
are
meant to cover all letters of the Latin alphabet regardless of whether the
letter is uppercase
(Majuscule form) or lowercase (Minuscule form).
When referring to the term "reduced" and variations thereof in the context of
a
keyboard, a keypad, or other arrangement of input members, such designations
shall refer
broadly to an arrangement in which at least one of the input members has
assigned thereto a
plurality of linguistic elements such as, for example, characters in the set
of Latin letters.
When referring to the term "window" and variations thereof, such designations
by
way of example, and not limitation, shall refer to a visualized layer, tile,
overlay or other
similar variant thereof that is output on a display or screen.
When referring to the phrase "default language" and variations thereof, such
designations shall refer to the primary language of the handheld electronic
device.
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For purposes of the description hereinafter, the terms "upper", "lower",
"right",
"left", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", and derivatives thereof
shall relate to the
disclosed concept as it is oriented in the figures.
An improved handheld electronic device 2 is indicated generally in FIG. 1 and
is
depicted schematically in FIG. 2. The exemplary handheld electronic device 2
includes a
housing 4 upon which is disposed a processor unit that includes an input
apparatus 6, an
output apparatus 8, a processor 10, and a memory 12. The processor 10 may be,
for
instance, and without limitation, a microprocessor (0) and is responsive to
inputs from the
input apparatus 6 and provides output signals to the output apparatus 8. The
processor 10
also interfaces with the memory 12. The processor 10 and the memory 12
together form a
processor apparatus.
As can be understood from FIG. 1, the input apparatus 6 includes a keypad 14
and a
trackwheel 16. As will be described in greater detail below, the keypad 14 is
in the
exemplary form of a reduced QWERTY keyboard including a plurality of keys 18
that serve
as input members. It is noted, however, that the keypad 14 may be of other
configurations,
such as an AZERTY keyboard, a QWERTZ keyboard, or other keyboard arrangement,
whether presently known or unknown, and either reduced or not reduced.
The keys 18 are located on a front face 20 of the housing 4, and the
trackwheel 16 is
located at a side 22 of the housing 4. In addition to the keys 18, the
trackwheel 16 can serve
as another input member since the trackwheel 16 is capable of being rotated,
as indicated by
arrow 24, and depressed generally toward the housing 4, as indicated by arrow
26. Rotation
of the trackwheel 16 provides certain inputs to the processor 10, while
depression of the
trackwheel 16 provides other input to the processor 10.
The system architecture of the handheld electronic device 2 advantageously is
organized to be operable independent of the specific layout of the keypad 14.
Accordingly,
the system architecture of the handheld electronic device 2 can be employed in
conjunction
with virtually any keypad layout without requiring any meaningful change in
the system
architecture. It is further noted that certain features set forth herein are
usable on either or
both of a reduced keyboard and a non-reduced keyboard.
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The memory 12 is depicted schematically in FIG. 2. The memory 12 can be any of
a
variety of types of internal and/or external storage media such as, without
limitation, RAM,
ROM, EPROM(s), EEPROM(s), and the like that provide a storage register for
data storage
such as in the fashion of an internal storage area of a computer, and can be
volatile memory
or nonvolatile memory. As can be seen from FIG. 2, the memory 12 is in
electronic
communication with the processor 10.
The memory 12 additionally can include one or more routines depicted generally
with the numeral 46 for the processing of data and carrying out other
functions, including a
user interface routine 47. When executed by the processor 10, the user
interface routine 47,
possibly in combination with another of the routines 46, causes the processor
10 to receive
inputs from the keypad 14, the trackwheel 16 and/or other input devices, and
causes the
processor 10 to present various forms of output on the display 28 and/or other
output
devices, as will shortly be explained. In other words, when sequences of
instructions of the
user interface routine 47 are executed by the processor 10, a user of the
handheld electronic
device 2 is provided with a way to interact with the handheld electronic
device 2. The
routines 46 can be in any of a variety of forms such as, without limitation,
software,
firmware, and the like. Additionally, the memory 12 can also store and make
available a
variety of data sources 48 such as, without limitation, one or more input
method languages
(i.e. "language" or "languages") 50 having language objects associated
therewith.
The input method languages 50 may also have corresponding linguistic sources
52
such as a generic word list or a language rule set. FIG. 2 depicts the memory
12 as
containing three input method languages 50. The first input method language 54
can be
English, the second input method language 56 can be French, and the third
input method
language 58 can be Spanish. It is noted, however, that despite FIG. 2
depicting only three
input method languages 54, 56, 58 being stored within memory 12, the total
number of input
method languages 50 that can be stored in the memory 12 is limited only by the
memory's
12 capacity. Once a user selects an input method language 50, the selected
input method
language becomes the operative input method language and the preferred data
source for the
handheld electronic device 2. The preferred data source is utilized by the
handheld
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electronic device 2 to disambiguate any ambiguous inputs that are entered into
the handheld
electronic device 2. It is noted, however, that an input method language can
be a default
operative input method language, thus being operative without being expressly
selected by a
user.
Returning to FIG. 1, the output apparatus 8 includes a display 28 upon which
can be
provided an output 30. An exemplary output 30 on the display 28 is depicted in
FIG. 1. The
output 30 includes a text component 32 and a window (variant component) 34. As
depicted
in FIG. 1, the window 34 extends substantially horizontally across the display
28. This,
however, is not meant to be limiting since the window 34 can also extend
across the display
28 substantially vertically, as depicted in FIG. 3, or in other fashions.
Preferably, the
window 34 is located generally in the vicinity of the text component 32. The
window 34
includes a number of outputs 36 from which the user can select, and a
selection box 38 that
provides an indication of what is selectable at any given time, as will be
explained. As
depicted in FIG. 1, the selection box 38 is at a default position 39, thereby
indicating that a
default one of the outputs 36 is currently selectable. As described in United
States Patent
Application Serial No. 10/931,281 entitled "Handheld Electronic device with
Text
Disambiguation," the outputs 36 are language objects selected from language
objects stored
in the memory 12 and proposed by the text disambiguation function as being the
most likely
disambiguated interpretation of the ambiguous input provided by the user.
As can also be seen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, a visual indicator 60, indicating a
preferred
data source (e.g., grammatical rules and/or vocabulary of a language), is also
provided in the
window 34. In order to facilitate the entry of text into the handheld
electronic device 2 and
to prevent user confusion regarding the currently selected language on the
handheld
electronic device 2, the visual indicator 60 enables a user to quickly
identify what language
is currently operative. In this particular embodiment, the visual indicator 60
is positioned
substantially adjacent to a right end 62 of the window 34. It is noted,
however, that the
visual indicator 60 can also be positioned substantially adjacent to a left
end 64 of the
window 34 or in other positions, such as within the caret 44 or on another
part of the display
28.
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=
The visual indicator 60 provides a visual identifier of a choice of a language
to a user
of the handheld electronic device 2. The visual indicator 60 may include one
or more of
first and second linguistic elements 66 and 68 that form an abbreviation
specifying a
particular language as depicted in FIG. 1, an unabbreviated name 65 of a
language as
depicted in FIG. 3, or a graphical symbol 69 representative of a flag or other
symbol
associated with a particular language as depicted in FIG. 4. The visual
indicator 60 may be
surrounded by a box 70 and/or may be offset from the outputs 36 to prevent a
user from
mistakenly identifying the visual indicator 60 as an output 36. Furthermore,
the box 70 may
be shaped or colored differently from the selection box 38. In the exemplary
output
depicted in FIG. 1, the visual indicator 60 includes the letters "F" and "R"
which is an
abbreviation of "French," along with a linguistic symbol 69 providing a
representation of the
flag of France. Accordingly, as depicted, the visual indicator 60 alerts the
user that French
is the currently selected language on the handheld electronic device 2.
The selection box 38 is capable of being moved (i.e. shifted) from the default
position 39 to a number of different positions 40 by depressing or actuating a
<NEXT> key
42 or by rotating the trackwheel 16. The display 28 also includes a caret
(cursor) 44 that
depicts generally where the next output will be displayed. As the selection
box 38 is moved
through different ones of the different positions 40, different ones of the
outputs 36 become
selectable by depressing the trackwheel 16 towards the housing 4, by pressing
one of the
keys 18 and/or by actuating some other form of input device (not shown)
disposed on the
housing 4. Upon reaching the last of the outputs 36, the selection box 38 can
be moved
beyond the last of the outputs 36 and to the visual indicator 60 such that the
visual indicator
60 becomes selectable, and in a manner substantially similar to that by which
each of the
outputs 36 may become selectable. In this way, the visual indicator 60 may be
selected in
lieu of one of the outputs 36. Furthermore, upon the visual indicator 60
becoming
selectable, still further movement of the selection box 38 beyond the last of
the outputs 36
and beyond the visual indicator 60 results in a "wrap-around" of the selection
box 38 back to
the default position 39, in some embodiments. In alternate embodiments, the
selection box
38 cannot be moved beyond the visual indicator 60.
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Upon the visual indicator 60 both becoming selectable, a user of the handheld
electronic device 2 may select the visual indicator 60 by actuating the <NEXT>
key 42,
depressing the trackwheel 16 or actuating some other form of input device
disposed on the
housing 4. Selecting the visual indicator 60 allows the user to change the
currently selected
language. In some embodiments, upon selection of the visual indicator 60, the
<NEXT>
key 42, the trackwheel 16 and/or some other form of input device disposed on
the housing 4
may be used to change in place the currently selected language by changing
whichever of
the linguistic elements 66 and 68, the unabbreviated name 65 or the graphical
symbol 69 is
currently displayed as part of the visual indicator 60. In other embodiments,
upon selection
of the visual indicator 60, a popup window 90 is presented that lists at least
a subset of the
choices of language 96 that may be selected, as depicted in FIG. 4. The popup
window 90
may present each choice of language 96 as one or both of a pair of linguistic
characters (not
unlike the linguistic characters 66 and 68 within the visual indicator 60) or
a graphical
symbol (not unlike the graphical symbol 69 within the visual indicator 60).
Alternatively or
additionally, the popup window 90 may present each choice of language 96 as an
unabbreviated name (not unlike the unabbreviated name 65 within the visual
indicator 60).
In still other embodiments, upon selection of the visual indicator 60, a
language selection
output 130 is presented on the display 28 in which a language selection menu
190 is
displayed, as depicted in FIG. 5, in place of the window 34. As in the case of
the popup
window 90, the language selection menu 190 may use one or more of a pair of
linguistic
characters, an unabbreviated name and/or a graphical symbol to present each
choice of
language 196.
In some embodiments, as the selection box 38 is moved beyond the last of the
outputs 36 and to the visual indicator 60, some form of tactile and/or audible
feedback may
be provided to a user of the handheld electronic device 2 that coincides with
the selection
box 38 being moved between one of the outputs 36 and the visual indicator 60.
Such tactile
and/or audible feedback would alert the user to the fact that he or she has
progressed beyond
the selection of available outputs 36 without the need to view the display 28
at that moment.
In one possible embodiment where either the trackwheel 16 or a trackball (not
shown) is
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employed in moving the selection box 38, a tactile feedback akin to a "bump"
and/or a
momentary resistance to movement may be provided that the user would feel
through which
ever ones of his or her fingers are employed in operating the trackwheel 16 or
the trackball.
Various trackwheels and trackballs equipped with a mechanism for causing a
translation
motion of the wheel or ball in a direction against the user's fingertips are
commercially
available as those skilled in the art will readily recognize. Such a
trackwheel or trackball
could be controlled in a manner that provides the user with a sensation that
the wheel or ball
is being "rolled" over a bump and/or that the wheel or ball is momentarily
"stuck" at the
moment that the selection box 38 is moved between one of the outputs 36 and
the visual
indicator 60.
It should be noted that although much of the preceding discussing has
specified that
the selection box 38 serves as the indication of which item in the window 34
is selectable,
those skilled in the art will readily recognize that other visual indicators
of which item in the
window 34 is selectable may be employed. By way of example, various techniques
of
highlighting a selectable item may be employed, including, but not limited to,
altering one or
more colors of the selectable item, itself, such that the selectable item is
made to stand out in
comparison to one or more non-selectable items, or altering one or more colors
of the
background immediately adjacent to a selectable item such that the selectable
item is
surrounded with a distinguishing color.
In some embodiments, as an alternative to presenting an operative language in
a
visual indicator as part of a window of selectable outputs as part of a
disambiguation
process, a visual indicator 260 may be presented as part of an input mode
indicator 284
presented on a portion of the display 28. As depicted in FIG. 6, the input
mode indicator
284 is positioned towards a corner of the display 28 so as to minimize its
obstruction of the
remainder of the space available on the display 28 for whatever use may be
desired by a user
of the handheld electronic device 2. The input mode indicator 284 includes a
visual
indicator 286 that presents information regarding other aspects of the current
input mode,
such whether a reduced-sized keyboard (e.g., the keypad 14) is currently in a
numeric entry
mode (as indicated with "123"), a lower-case letter entry mode (as indicated
with "abc") or
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an upper-case letter entry mode (as variously indicated with an upward arrow,
or either of
"ABC" or "CAP"). As was the case with the earlier-discussed visual indicator
60, the visual
indicator 260 may present the current choice of language with an abbreviation
(e.g., "EN" as
depicted), a graphical symbol (e.g., a flag as depicted), or an unabbreviated
name of a
language (not shown). In other words, the input mode indicator 284 presents
one of a
selection of possible input modes that combine a choice of numeric or text
entry, a choice of
capitalization, and a choice of language in each input mode. FIG. 6 depicts
some of the
available input modes that may be selected.
The remainder of the space available on the display 28 may be employed by one
or
more of the routines 46, including the user interface routine 47, to enable
input of text or
numbers by the user. Not unlike the earlier-described visual indicator 60, the
input mode
indicator 284 is selectable, though not as part of a list of selectable
outputs generated by a
disambiguation routine. In some embodiments, a trackball or input device (not
shown) that
is disposed on the housing 4 may be used to make the input mode indicator 284
selectable
by moving a focus of the user interface routine 47 away from an application
occupying the
remainder of the space available on the display 28 and towards the input mode
indicator
284. Upon the input mode indicator 284 being made selectable, and upon the
input mode
indicator 284 being selected, a different input mode may be selected. In some
embodiments,
the selection of the input mode indicator 284 results in an input mode
selection menu not
unlike the earlier-described language selection menu 190 that occupies at
least a portion of
the remainder of the space available on the display 28. In other embodiments,
the selection
of the input mode indicator 284 results in the presentation of a smaller popup
menu not
unlike the earlier-described popup window 90. In still other embodiments, the
selection of
the input mode indicator 284 allows the user to change in place the input mode
indicator 284
(and with it, the associated input mode), perhaps by operating the trackwheel
16 or other
input device, such as a trackball.
An improved handheld electronic device 1004 in accordance with another
embodiment of the disclosed concept is depicted generally in FIG. 7. As a
general matter,
the handheld electronic device 1004 is substantially identical in
configuration and function
CA 02655638 2012-04-10
to the handheld electronic device 2, except that the handheld electronic
device 1004 employs
a multiple-axis input device instead of or in addition to the trackwheel 16.
In the depicted
exemplary embodiment, the multiple-axis input device is a track ball 1032 as
will be
described below. It is noted, however, that multiple-axis input devices other
than the track
ball 1032 can be employed without departing from the present concept. For
instance, other
appropriate multiple-axis input devices could include mechanical devices such
as joysticks
and the like and/or non-mechanical devices such as touch pads, track pads and
the like
and/or other devices which detect motion or input in other fashions, such as
through the use
of optical sensors or piezoelectric crystals.
The handheld electronic device 1004 includes a housing 1006 upon which is
disposed a processor unit that includes an input apparatus 1008, an output
apparatus 1012, a
processor 1016, a memory 1020, and a number of routines 1022. All of the
operations that
can be performed on or with the handheld electronic device 2 can be performed
on or with
the handheld electronic device 1004. As such, the features of the handheld
electronic device
2 that are common with the handheld electronic device 1004, and this would
comprise
essentially all of the features of the handheld electronic device 2, will
generally not be
repeated.
The output apparatus 1012 includes a display 1060 that provides visual output.
The
exemplary output in FIG. 7 is a plurality of icons 1062 that are selectable by
the user for the
purpose of, for example, initiating the execution on the processor 1016 of a
routine 1022 that
is represented by an icon 1062.
The input apparatus 1008 can be said to comprise a keypad 1024 and the track
ball
1032, all of which serve as input members. The keypad 1024 and the track ball
1032 are
advantageously disposed adjacent one another. The keypad 1024 comprises a
plurality of
keys 1028 that are actuatable to provide input to the processor 1016. Many of
the keys 1028
have assigned thereto a plurality of linguistic elements in the exemplary form
of Latin
letters. Other keys 1028 can have assigned thereto functions and/or other
characters.
For instance, one of the keys 1028 is an <ESCAPE> key 1031 which, when
actuated,
provides to the processor 1016 an input that undoes the action which resulted
from the
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immediately preceding input and/or moves the user to a logically higher
position within the
logical menu tree managed by a graphical user interface (GUI) routine 1022.
The function
provided by the <ESCAPE> key 1031 can be used at any logical location within
any portion
of the logical menu tree except, perhaps, at a home screen such as is depicted
in FIG. 7. The
<ESCAPE> key 1031 is advantageously disposed adjacent the track ball 1032
thereby
enabling, for example, an unintended or incorrect input from the track ball
1032 to be
quickly undone, i.e., reversed, by an actuation of the adjacent <ESCAPE> key
1031.
Another of the keys 1028 is a <MENU> key 1033 which, when actuated, provides
to
the processor 1016 an input that causes the GUI 1022 to generate and output on
the display
1060 a menu that is appropriate to the user's current logical location within
the logical menu
tree. For instance, FIG. 8 depicts an exemplary menu 1035A that would be
appropriate if
the user's current logical location within the logical menu tree was viewing
an email within
an email routine 1022. That is, the menu 1035A provides selectable options
that would be
appropriate for a user given that the user is, for example, viewing an email
within an email
routine 1022. In a similar fashion, FIG. 9 depicts another exemplary menu
1035B that
would be depicted if the user's current logical location within the logical
menu tree was
within a telephone routine 1022.
The track ball 1032 is disposed on the housing 1006 and is freely rotatable in
all
directions with respect to the housing 1006. A rotation of the track ball 1032
a
predetermined rotational distance with respect to the housing 1006 provides an
input to the
processor 1016, and such inputs can be employed by the routines 1022, for
example, as
navigational inputs, scrolling inputs, selection inputs, and other inputs.
For instance, the track ball 1032 is rotatable about a horizontal axis 1034A
to provide
vertical scrolling, navigational, selection, or other inputs. Similarly, the
track ball 1032 is
rotatable about a vertical axis 1034B to provide horizontal scrolling,
navigational, selection,
or other inputs. Since the track ball 1032 is freely rotatable with respect to
the housing
1006, the track ball 1032 is additionally rotatable about any other axis (not
expressly
depicted herein) that lies within the plane of the page of FIG. 7 or that
extends out of the
plane of the page of FIG. 7.
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The tack ball 1032 can be said to be a multiple-axis input device because it
provides
scrolling, navigational, selection, and other inputs in a plurality of
directions or with respect
to a plurality of axes, such as providing inputs in both the vertical and the
horizontal
directions. It is reiterated that the track ball 1032 is merely one of many
multiple-axis input
devices that could be employed on the handheld electronic device 1004. As
such,
mechanical alternatives to the track ball 1032, such as a joystick, might have
a limited
rotation with respect to the housing 1006, and non-mechanical alternatives
might be
immovable with respect to the housing 1006, yet all are capable of providing
input in a
plurality of directions or along a plurality of axes.
The track ball 1032 additionally is translatable toward the housing 1006,
i.e., into the
plane of the page of FIG. 7, to provide additional inputs. The track ball 1032
could be
translated in such a fashion by, for example, a user applying an actuating
force to the track
ball 1032 in a direction toward the housing 1006, such as by pressing on the
track ball 1032.
The inputs that are provided to the processor 1016 as a result of a
translation of the track ball
1032 in the indicated fashion can be employed by the routines 1022, for
example, as
selection inputs, delimiter inputs, or other inputs.
The track ball 1032 is rotatable to provide, for example, navigational inputs
among
the icons 1062. For example, FIG. 7 depicts the travel of an indicator 1066
from the icon
1062A, as is indicated in broken lines with the indicator 1066A, to the icon
1062B, as is
indicated in broken lines with the indicator 1066B, and onward to the icon
1062C, as is
indicated by the indicator 1066C. It is understood that the indicators 1066A,
1066B, and
1066C are not necessarily intended to be simultaneously depicted on the
display 1060, but
rather are intended to together depict a series of situations and to indicate
movement of the
indicator 1066 among the icons 1062. The particular location of the indicator
1066 at any
given time indicates to a user the particular icon 1062, for example, that is
the subject of a
selection focus of the handheld electronic device 1004. Whenever an icon 1062
or other
selectable object is the subject of the selection focus, a selection input to
the processor 1016
will result in the routine 1022 or other function represented by the icon 1062
or other
selectable object to be executed or initiated.
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The movement of the indicator 1066 from the icon 1062A, as indicated with the
indicator 1066A, to the icon 1062B, as is indicated by the indicator 1066B,
was
accomplished by rotating the track ball 1032 about the vertical axis 1034B to
provide a
horizontal navigational input. As mentioned above, a rotation of the track
ball 1032 a
predetermined rotational distance results in an input to the processor 1016.
In the present
example, the track ball 1032 would have been rotated about the vertical axis
1034B a
rotational distance equal to three times the predetermined rotational distance
since the icon
1062B is disposed three icons 1062 to the right the icon 1062A. Such rotation
of the track
ball 1032 likely would have been made in a single motion by the user, but this
need not
necessarily be the case.
Similarly, the movement of the indicator 1066 from the icon 1062B, as
indicated by
the indicator 1066B, to the icon 1062C, as is indicated by the indicator
1066C, was
accomplished by the user rotating the track ball 1032 about the horizontal
axis 1034A to
provide a vertical navigational input. In so doing, the track ball 1032 would
have been
rotated a rotational distance equal to two times the predetermined rotational
distance since
the icon 1062C is disposed two icons 1062 below the icon 1062B. Such rotation
of the track
ball 1032 likely would have been made in a single motion by the user, but this
need not
necessarily be the case.
It thus can be seen that the track ball 1032 is rotatable in various
directions to
provide various navigational and other inputs to the processor 1016.
Rotational inputs by
the track ball 1032 typically are interpreted by whichever routine 1022 is
active on the
handheld electronic device 1004 as inputs that can be employed by such routine
1022. For
example, the GUI 1022 that is active on the handheld electronic device 1004 in
FIG. 7
requires vertical and horizontal navigational inputs to move the indicator
1066, and thus the
selection focus, among the icons 1062. If a user rotated the track ball 1032
about an axis
oblique to the horizontal axis 1034A and the vertical axis 1034B, the GUI 1022
likely would
resolve such an oblique rotation of the track ball 1032 into vertical and
horizontal
components which could then be interpreted by the GUI 1022 as vertical and
horizontal
navigational movements, respectively. In such a situation, if one of the
resolved vertical and
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CA 02655638 2012-04-10
horizontal navigational movements is of a greater magnitude than the other,
the resolved
navigational movement having the greater magnitude would be employed by the
GUI 1022
as a navigational input in that direction to move the indicator 1066 and the
selection focus,
and the other resolved navigational movement would be ignored by the GUI 1022,
for
example.
When the indicator 1066 is disposed on the icon 1062C, as is indicated by the
indicator 1066C, the selection focus of the handheld electronic device 1004 is
on the icon
1062C. As such, a translation of the track ball 1032 toward the housing 1006
as described
above would provide an input to the processor 1016 that would be interpreted
by the GUI
1022 as a selection input with respect to the icon 1062C. In response to such
a selection
input, the processor 1016 would, for example, begin to execute a routine 1022
that is
represented by the icon 1062C. It thus can be understood that the track ball
1032 is rotatable
to provide navigational and other inputs in multiple directions, assuming that
the routine
1022 that is currently active on the handheld electronic device 1004 can
employ such
navigational or other inputs in a plurality of directions, and can also be
translated to provide
a selection input or other input.
Rotational movement inputs from the track ball 1032 could be employed to
navigate
among, for example, the menus 1035A and 1035B. For instance, after an
actuation of the
<MENU> key 1033 and an outputting by the GUI 1022 of a resultant menu, the
user could
rotate the track ball 1032 to provide scrolling inputs to successively
highlight the various
selectable options within the menu. Once the desired selectable option is
highlighted, i.e., is
the subject of the selection focus, the user could translate the track ball
1032 toward the
housing 1006 to provide a selection input as to the highlighted selectable
option. In this
regard, it is noted that the <MENU> key 1033 is advantageously disposed
adjacent the track
ball 1032. This enables, for instance, the generation of a menu by an
actuation the
<MENU> key 1033, conveniently followed by a rotation the track ball 1032 to
highlight a
desired selectable option, for instance, followed by a translation of the
track ball 1032
toward the housing 1006 to provide a selection input to initiate the operation
represented by
the highlighted selectable option.
CA 02655638 2012-04-10
. .
It is further noted that one of the additional inputs that can be provided by
a
translation of the track ball 1032 is an input that causes the GUI 1022 to
output a reduced
menu. For instance, a translation of the track ball 1032 toward the housing
1066 could
result in the generation and output of a more limited version of a menu than
would have
been generated if the <MENU> key 1033 had instead been actuated. Such a
reduced menu
would therefore be appropriate to the user's current logical location within
the logical menu
tree and would provide those selectable options which the user would have a
high likelihood
of selecting. Rotational movements of the track ball 1032 could provide
scrolling inputs to
scroll among the selectable options within the reduced menu 1035C, and
translation
movements of the track ball 1032 could provide selection inputs to initiate
whatever
function is represented by the selectable option within the reduce menu 1032
that is
currently highlighted.
By way of example, if instead of actuating the <MENU> key 1033 to generate the
menu 1035A the user translated the track ball 1032, the GUI 1022 would
generate and
output on the display the reduced menu 1035C that is depicted generally in
FIG. 10. The
exemplary reduced menu 1035C provides as selectable options a number of the
selectable
options from the menu 1035A that the user would be most likely to select. As
such, a user
seeking to perform a relatively routine function could, instead of actuating
the <MENU>
key 1033 to display the full menu 1035A, translate the track ball 1032 to
generate and output
the reduced menu 1035C. The user could then conveniently rotate the track ball
1032 to
provide scrolling inputs to highlight a desired selectable option, and could
then translate the
track ball 1032 to provide a selection input which would initiate the function
represented by
the selectable option in the reduced menu 1035C that is currently highlighted.
In the present exemplary embodiment, many of the menus that could be generated
as
a result of an actuation of the <MENU> key 1033 could instead be generated and
output in
reduced form as a reduced menu in response to a translation of the track ball
1032 toward
the housing 1006. It is noted, however, that a reduced menu might not be
available for each
full menu that could be generated from an actuation of the <MENU> key 1033.
Depending
upon the user's specific logical location within the logical menu tree, a
translation of the
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CA 02655638 2012-04-10
track ball 1032 might be interpreted as a selection input rather than an input
seeking a
reduced menu. For instance, a translation of the track ball 1032 on the home
screen depicted
in FIG. 7 would result in a selection input as to whichever of the icons 1062
is the subject of
the input focus. If the <MENU> key 1033 was actuated on the home screen, the
GUI 1022
would output a menu appropriate to the home screen, such as a full menu of all
of the
functions that are available on the handheld electronic device 1004, including
those that
might not be represented by icons 1062 on the home screen.
FIG. 11 depicts a quantity of text that is output on the display 1060, such as
during a
text entry operation or during a text editing operation, for example. The
indicator 1066 is
depicted in FIG. 11 as being initially over the letter "L", as is indicated
with the indicator
1066D, and having been moved horizontally to the letter "I", as is indicated
by the indicator
1066E, and thereafter vertically moved to the letter "W", as is indicated by
the indicator
1066F. In a fashion similar to that in FIG. 7, the cursor 1066 was moved among
the letters
"L", "I", and "W" through the use of horizontal and vertical navigational
inputs resulting
from rotations of the track ball 1032. In the example of FIG. 11, however,
each rotation of
the track ball 1032 the predetermined rotational distance would move the
indicator 1066 to
the next adjacent letter. As such, in moving the indicator 1066 between the
letters "L" and
"I," the user would have rotated the track ball 1032 about the vertical axis
1034B a
rotational distance equal to nine times the predetermined rotational distance,
for example,
since "I" is disposed nine letters to the right of "L".
FIG. 12 depicts an output 1064 on the display 1060 during, for example, a text
entry
operation that employs the disambiguation routine 1022. The output 1064 can be
said to
comprise a text component 1068 and a variant component 1072. The variant
component
1072 comprises a default portion 1076 and a variant portion 1080. FIG. 12
depicts the
indicator 1066G on the variant 1080 "HAV", such as would result from a
rotation of the
track ball 1032 about the horizontal axis 1034A to provide a downward vertical
scrolling
input. In this regard, it is understood that a rotation of the track ball 1032
a distance equal to
the predetermined rotational distance would have moved the indicator 1066 from
a position
(not expressly depicted herein) disposed on the default portion 1076 to the
position disposed
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on the first variant 1080, as is depicted in FIG. 12. Since such a rotation of
the track ball
1032 resulted in the first variant 1080 "HAV" being highlighted with the
indicator 1066G,
the text component 1068 likewise includes the text "HAV" immediately preceding
a cursor
1084A.
FIG. 13 depict an alternative output 1064A having an alternative variant
component
1072A having a default portion 1076A and a variant portion 1080A. The variant
component
1072A is horizontally arranged, meaning that the default portion 1076A and the
variants
1080A are disposed horizontally adjacent one another and can be sequentially
selected by
the user through the use of horizontal scrolling inputs, such as by the user
rotating the track
ball 1032 the predetermined rotational distance about the vertical axis 1034B.
This is to be
contrasted with the variant component 1072 of FIG. 12 wherein the default
portion 1076 and
the variants 1080 are vertically arranged, and which can be sequentially
selected by the user
through the user of vertical scrolling inputs with the track ball 1032.
In this regard, it can be understood that the track ball 1032 can provide both
the
vertical scrolling inputs employed in conjunction with the output 1064 as well
as the
horizontal scrolling inputs employed in conjunction with the output 1064A. For
instance,
the disambiguation routine 1022 potentially could allow the user to customize
the operation
thereof by electing between the vertically arranged variant component 1072 and
the
horizontally arranged variant component 1072A. The track ball 1032 can provide
scrolling
inputs in the vertical direction and/or the horizontal direction, as needed,
and thus is
operable to provide appropriate scrolling inputs regardless of whether the
user chooses the
variant component 1072 or the variant component 1072A. That is, the track ball
1032 can
be rotated about the horizontal axis 1034A to provide the vertical scrolling
inputs employed
in conjunction with the variant component 1072, and also can be rotated about
the vertical
axis 1034B to provide the horizontal scrolling inputs that are employed in
conjunction with
the variant component 1064A. The track ball 1032 thus could provide
appropriate
navigational, strolling, selection, and other inputs depending upon the needs
of the routine
1022 active at any time on the handheld electronic device 1004. The track ball
1032 enables
such navigational, strolling, selection, and other inputs to be intuitively
generated by the
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user through rotations of the track ball 1032 in directions appropriate to the
active routine
1022, such as might be indicated on the display 1060. Other examples will be
apparent.
It can further be seen from FIG. 13 that the variant component 1072A
additionally
includes a value 1081 that is indicative of the language into which the
disambiguation
routine 1022 will interpret ambiguous text input. In the example depicted in
FIG. 13, the
language is English.
As can be seen in FIG. 14, the value 1081 can be selected by the user to cause
the displaying of a list 1083 of alternative values 1085. The alternative
values 1085 are
indicative of selectable alternative languages into which the disambiguation
routine 1022
can interpret ambiguous input. A selection of the value 1081 would have been
achieved, for
example, by the user providing horizontal scrolling inputs with the track ball
1032 to cause
(not expressly depicted herein) the indicator 1066 to be disposed over the
value 1081, and
by thereafter translating the track ball 1032 toward the housing 1006 to
provide a selection
input.
The alternative values 1085 in the list 1083 are vertically arranged with
respect to one another and with respect to the value 1081. As such, a vertical
scrolling input
with the track ball 1032 can result in a vertical movement of the indicator
10661 to a position
on one of the alternative values 1085 which, in the present example, is the
alternative value
1085 "FR", which is representative of the French language. The alternative
value 1085
"FR" could become selected by the user in any of a variety of fashions, such
as by actuating
the track ball 1032 again, by continuing to enter text, or in other fashions.
It thus can be
understood from FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 that the track ball 1032 can be rotated to
provide
horizontal scrolling inputs and, when appropriate, to additionally provide
vertical scrolling
inputs and, when appropriate, to additionally provide selection inputs, for
example.
FIG. 15 depicts another exemplary output on the display 1060 such as might
be employed by a data entry routine 1022. The exemplary output of FIG. 15
comprises a
plurality of input fields 1087 with corresponding descriptions. A cursor
1084D, when
disposed within one of the input fields 1087, indicates to the user that an
input focus of the
handheld electronic device 1004 is on that input field 1087. That is, data
such as text,
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CA 02655638 2012-04-10
numbers, symbols, and the like, will be entered into whichever input field
1087 is active,
i.e., is the subject of the input focus. It is understood that the handheld
electronic device
1004 might perform other operations or take other actions depending upon which
input field
1087 is the subject of the input focus.
Navigational inputs from the track ball 1032 advantageously enable the cursor
1084D, and thus the input focus, to be switched, i.e., shifted, among the
various input fields
1087. For example, the input fields 1087 could include the input fields 1087A,
1087B, and
1087C. FIG. 15 depicts the cursor 1084D as being disposed in the input field
1087C,
indicating that the input field 1087C is the subject of the input focus of the
handheld
electronic device 1004. It is understood that the cursor 1084D, and thus the
input focus, can
be shifted from the input field 1087C to the input field 1087A, which is
disposed adjacent
and vertically above the input field 1087C, by providing a vertical scrolling
input in the
upward direction with the track ball 1032. That is, the track ball 1032 would
be rotated the
predetermined rotational distance about the horizontal axis 1034. Similarly,
the cursor
1084D, and thus the input focus, can be shifted from the input field 1087A to
the input field
1087B, which is disposed adjacent and to the right of the input field 1087A,
by providing a
horizontal scrolling input to the right with the track ball 1032. That is,
such a horizontal
scrolling input could be provided by rotating the track ball the predetermined
rotational
distance about the vertical axis 1034B. It thus can be seen that the track
ball 1032 is
rotatable in a plurality of directions about a plurality axes to provide
navigational, scrolling,
and other inputs in a plurality of directions among a plurality of input
fields 1087. Other
types of inputs and/or inputs in other applications will be apparent.
Since the keypad 1024 and the track ball 1032 are advantageously disposed
adjacent
one another, the user can operate the track ball 1032 substantially without
moving the user's
hands away from the keypad 1024 during a text entry operation or other
operation. It thus
can be seen that the track ball 1032 combines the benefits of both the
trackwheel 16 and the
<NEXT> key 40. It is noted, however, that other embodiments of the handheld
electronic
device 1004 (not expressly depicted herein) could include both the track ball
1032 and a
<NEXT> key such as the <NEXT> key 40 without departing from the present
concept.
CA 02655638 2012-04-10
An improved handheld electronic device 2004 in accordance with still another
embodiment of the disclosed concept is depicted generally in FIG. 16 and FIG.
17. The
handheld electronic device 2004 includes a housing 2006 upon which is disposed
a
processor unit that includes an input apparatus 2008, an output apparatus
2012, a processor
2016, a memory 2020, and a number of routines 2022. All of the operations that
can be
performed on or with the handheld electronic devices 2 and/or 1004 can be
performed on or
with the handheld electronic device 2004. As such, the features of the
handheld electronic
device 2004 that are common with the handheld electronic devices 2 and/or
1004, and this
would comprise essentially all of the features of the handheld electronic
devices 2 and/or
1004, will generally not be repeated.
As a general matter, the handheld electronic device 2004 is substantially
identical in
configuration and function to the handheld electronic device 1004, except that
the handheld
electronic device 2004 includes a touch screen display 2055 that provides a
non-mechanical
multiple-axis input device 2032 instead of the track ball 1032. The multiple-
axis input
device 2032 can be said to be in the form of a virtual track ball 2032.
As is generally understood, the touch screen display 2055 includes a liquid
crystal
layer between a pair of substrates, with each substrate including an
electrode. The
electrodes form a grid which defines the aperture size of the pixels. When a
charge is
applied to the electrodes, the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal
layer become
aligned generally perpendicular to the two substrates. A display input/output
subassembly
2053 of the output apparatus 2012 controls the location of the charge applied
to the
electrodes thereby enabling the formation of images on the touch screen
display 2055.
Additionally, the touch screen display 2055 comprises a sensor assembly 2057
which
comprises an output device 2059 and a plurality of detectors 2061. The
detectors 2061 are
shown schematically and are typically too small to be seen by the naked eye.
Each detector
2061 is in electrical communication with the output device 2059 and creates an
output signal
when actuated. The detectors 2061 are disposed in a pattern, discussed below,
and are
structured to detect an external object immediately adjacent to, or touching,
the touch screen
display 2055. The external object is typically a stylus or a user's finger
(not shown). The
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CA 02655638 2012-04-10
output device 2059 and/or the processor 2016 are structured to receive the
detector signals
and convert the signals to data representing the location of the external
object relative to the
touch screen display 2055. As such, while the sensor assembly 2057 is
physically a
component of the touch screen display 2055, it is nevertheless considered to
be a logical
component of the input apparatus 2008 since it provides input to the processor
apparatus.
The detectors 2061 are typically capacitive detectors, optical detectors,
resistive
detectors, or mechanical detectors such as strain gauge or charged grid,
although other
technologies may be employed without departing from the present concept.
Typically,
capacitive detectors are structured to detect a change in capacitance caused
by the electrical
field of the external object or a change in capacitance caused by the
compression of the
capacitive detector. Optical detectors are structured to detect a reflection
of light, e.g., light
created by the touch screen display 2055. Mechanical detectors include a
charged grid with
columns that would be disposed on one side of the touch screen display 2055
and a
corresponding grid without columns would be disposed at another location on
the touch
screen display 2055. In such a configuration, when the touch screen display
2055 is
compressed, i.e. as a result of being touched by the user, the columns at the
area of
compression contact the opposing grid thereby completing a circuit.
Capacitive detectors may be disposed upon either substrate and, although
small,
require space. Thus, and any pixel that is disposed adjacent a detector 2061
will have a
reduced size, or aperture, to accommodate the adjacent detector 2061.
The detectors 2061 are disposed in a pattern, and at least some of the
detectors 2061
preferably are arranged in lines that form a grid. A first portion of the
detectors 2061 are
disposed on a first area 2081 of the touch screen display 2055, and a second
portion of the
detectors 2061 are disposed on a second area 2083 of the touch screen display
2055. As can
be seen from FIG. 16, the first area 2081 essentially is every region of the
touch screen
display 2005 other than the second area 2083.
The first portion of the detectors 2061 disposed on the first area 2081 of the
touch
screen display 2055 are disposed in a relatively sparse pattern in order to
minimize the
visual interference that is caused by the presence of the detectors 2061
adjacent the pixels.
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CA 02655638 2012-04-10
Preferably, the spacing of the detectors 2061 on the first area 2081 is
between about 1.0 mm
and 10.0 mm between the detectors 2061, and more preferably about 3.0 mm
between the
detectors 2061.
The second portion of the detectors 2061 are disposed in a relatively dense
pattern on
the second area 2083 of the touch screen display 2055 and are structured to
support the
function of the virtual track ball 2032. The image quality in the second area
2083 of the
touch screen display 2055 is adversely affected due to the dense spacing of
the detectors
2061 there. However, the second area 2083 is a relatively small area compared
to the entire
touch screen display 2055. Preferably, the density of the detectors 2061 in
the second area
2083 is between about 0.05 mm and 3.0 mm between the detectors, and more
preferably
about 0.1 mm between the detectors 2061. Further, because the pixels in the
second area
2083 are dedicated for the virtual track ball 2032, it is acceptable to have a
reduced pixel
density with larger pixels. Since the pixel size would be very large, the
aspect ratio would
be significantly higher than that of pixels that are not disposed adjacent a
detector 2061.
The pixels in the second area 2083 likely would be special function pixels,
such as pixels
that would both depict the virtual track ball 2032 and that would light up the
second area
2083 to highlight the virtual track ball 2032.
The processor apparatus is structured to create images and define the
boundaries of
selectable portions of the images on the touch screen display 2055. For
example, the
processor apparatus will create the images of selectable icons or other
objects on specific
portions of the touch screen display 2055. The processor apparatus is further
structured to
relate specific detectors 2061 to the specific portions of the touch screen
display 2055.
Thus, when the processor apparatus detects the actuation of a specific
detector 2061 adjacent
to a specific image, e.g. a selectable icon, the processor apparatus will
initiate the function or
routine related to that icon, e.g. opening a calendar program.
Similarly, the processor apparatus is structured to employ specific detectors
2061 to
support the function of the virtual track ball 2032 in the second area 2083 of
the touch
screen display 2055. Thus, actuations of one or more of the detectors 2061
that support the
virtual track ball 2032 will be interpreted by the processor apparatus as
being inputs from
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CA 02655638 2012-04-10
the virtual track ball 2032. For instance, an actuation of a sequential
plurality of detectors
2061 extending along a particular direction on the touch screen display 2055
in the second
area 2083 might be interpreted as a navigational input, a scrolling input, a
selection input,
and/or another input in the particular direction. Since the user can freely
move a finger, for
instance, in any direction on the touch screen display 2055, the virtual track
ball 2032 is a
multiple-axis input device. Other inputs, such as a non-moving actuation of
one or more
detectors 2061 in the central region of the virtual track ball 2032 could be
interpreted by the
processor apparatus as an actuation input of the virtual track ball 2032, such
as would be
generated by an actuation of the track ball 1032 of the handheld electronic
device 1004 in a
direction toward the housing 1006 thereof. It can be understood that other
types of
actuations of the detectors 2061 in the second area 2083 can be interpreted as
various other
inputs without departing from the disclosed concept.
The handheld electronic device 2004 thus comprises a multiple-axis input
device
2032 that is non-mechanical but that still provides the same functional
features and
advantages as, say, the track ball 1032 of the handheld electronic device
1004. It is
understood that the virtual track ball 2032 is but one example of the many
types of multiple-
axis input devices that could be employed on the handheld electronic device
2004.
While specific embodiments of the disclosed concept have been described in
detail,
it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications
and alternatives to
those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the
disclosure.
Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be
illustrative only and not
limiting as to the scope of the disclosed concept, which is solely defined in
the claims
appended.
24
